MotoGP: Ducati Tests At Mugello

By Paul Carruthers | 5/12/2014 2:25 PM

The Ducati team of Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow took part in a private test today at the Mugello circuit in Italy, the Italian lapping a few tenths quicker than the Brit despite a crash late in the day.

The pair had good weather in Tuscany and both worked on new electronics strategies, according to Ducati. Crutchlow also worked on his braking system, after encountering problems with his brakes at the last round in Jerez.

“It’s always important to do a test at Mugello before the race, and in any case we had some new set-ups to try,” Dovizisio said after completing 67 laps with a best of 1:47.9.“It was interesting: nothing revolutionary, but in any case these were tests that will be useful for the future bike. I set some good times, but when your adversaries are not present, you mustn’t give them too much importance. In any case we are quicker than last year. Towards the end of the day I crashed at turn four when I lost the front. Luckily I was unharmed, but I feel sorry for the mechanics who will now have to work a bit more this evening, because tomorrow we’re all leaving for France.”

Crutchlow continued his work on the bike in his first year on the factory Ducati. His best lap was a 1:48.2 and he did less laps than Dovi – 55 in total.

“Today was a day we had some things to try,” Crutchlow said. “I tested something different to my teammate and to Andrea Iannone, but we went back towards the base setting of the Ducati and it felt a bit more comfortable. It was a good working day with quite good weather so we are happy to leave here confirming the direction for Le Mans and looking forwards to the weekend.”

Paul Carruthers took over as the editor of Cycle News in 1993 after serving as associate editor since starting his career at the publication in 1985. Carruthers has covered every facet of the sport in his near-28-year tenure at America’s Daily Motorcycle News Source.